Nish / Matthews

Posted on Wed Oct 28th, 2026 @ 11:16pm by Lieutenant Jennifer Matthews & Chief Petty Officer Nish Karalo

Mission: Sacrifice
849 words - 1.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Jenni had arrived at the launch bay before Nish, and she couldn't be more thrilled. With the Atlantis being so far from home, one did not have much opportunity for solitude, especially when the ship already had such little space to offer. But to be alone in the bay without the sound of another's voice echoing off the metallic bulkheads was a rare treat she couldn't help but savor. Sooner or later, Nish would arrive, and Jenni would have to conduct repairs of the shuttlepods with the pilot.

She took this moment to stand on the opposite side of the shuttlepod where she couldn't be seen from the door. Jenni closed her eyes, exhaled a deep breath, and leaned her back against the pod, which was suspended a few centimeters from the floor by the pylon extended from the ceiling. Her lungs slowly took in a new breath and her mind floated in silence. Well, as much silence as the rumble of the air circulators and the thrum of electrified plasma would permit.

The doors to the shuttlebay opened with a hiss, followed by the not so subtle footsteps of Nish walking in. "Lieutenant?" She called into the bay when she didn't immediately spot the woman she had agreed to meet here. There had been some minor things she had fixed herself, with the help of her boyfriend, before defiling the pilot's seat. But some of the more intricate matters on the check list needed an actual engineer. If nothing else, it needed an engineer to sign off on the work.

Jenni hadn't heard the doors open, but it was impossible to not hear Nish's voice reverberate throughout the room when she called out. She opened her eyes, sighed, and remained leaning against the side of the shuttlepod as she called back, "I'm here!" She waited a moment before pushing herself off of the small craft and walk around it to greet Nish.

Nish approached the shuttle and immediately presented the PADD that held her post-flight check, and the report of the small bit of work she'd done on it herself with a little help from Zac. "Atmosphere tends to get everywhere, huh?" She remarked giving a nod towards the PADD.

"It tends to," Jenni remarked, sporting a grin at her lame attempt at sarcastic humor. "Awfully terrible when it gets exactly into places its not designed or supposed to be." The engineer accepted the padd and started to look through the information it contained. "I have to say, whoever's doing the exterior welding near the impulse grates has a very steady handy. I haven't seen lines that smooth in a while."

"Ah yeah. I remember that one." Nish immediately put up her hands, "I outsource some of this stuff. Recently fixed a relay in the pilot's console. There was this annoying clicking sound." She made a throwaway motion. "The rest of it is on the gripe sheet, though. You know me. I'm not touching any vitals." Anyone that actually did know Nish knew full well that she tended to do exactly what she pleased. It was something that was starting to set her apart from her 'this universe' counterpart.

"Outsource, eh?" Jenni glanced up from the report with a sly look. "I might have a few jobs for your welder if they're interested. Unless, of course, they want to remain anonymous. In which case, I'm happy to bribe with cookies."

Nish nodded at that, "I think cookies are in order either way. Though word on the street is we've run out of proper chocolate." The planet that they visited had yielded some interesting alternatives, but there was just something about chocolate that made her, and plenty of people with her, appreciate it above all else. Those still in possession of a personal stash of chocolate were sitting on gold.

"Such a sad word too," Jenni confirmed, her own stash had finally given out months ago. Though, she was almost certain she'd hidden a piece of dark chocolate somewhere in her quarters for a dark and dreary day. If only she could remember if and where she might have done that. "Though I'd almost kill for a proper cup of coffee. The roots we've been using lately leave too bitter of an aftertaste."

With a bit of a shrug Nish tried to convey that she didn't mind the aftertaste too much, "does feel quite a bit more potent. I think some of the science geeks were talking about doing some selective breeding to get it more in line with Earth coffee. Who knows how long that'll take them."

Jenni chuckled, wondering if any of them would soon remember what real coffee tasted like. Over time, exposure to alternatives would taint their taste buds and soon enough they'd accept any facsimile for the real thing, even if it really tasted like black licorice. "Best to leave that one to the scientists." She looked up from the padd and shifted the conversation back to the shuttle, "Everything looks good here. Anything notable about recent performance? Sluggish thrusters or sticky fins?"

TRUNCATED